No longer stuck on the couch for a big game, Saquon Barkley doesn’t want to leave anything for armchair quarterbacks to second guess. 

Barkley, who is averaging 3.3 yards per carry over the past six games, said Thursday he needs to do more to reverse the Giants’ fortunes headed into Sunday’s all-important game against the Commanders. 

“My perspective on that is: Try to make a change. Try to be helpful. Try to make plays. That’s where I feel like I’ve got to get back to,” Barkley said. “I feel like I’ve been lacking the last couple of weeks — being the guy, and making explosive plays, especially when it matters most.” 

It’s no secret that the Giants go as their best playmaker goes. Barkley was second in the NFL with 726 rushing yards (5.1 per carry) during a 6-1 start. Since then — as his production has tailed off under the weight of running into loaded boxes without a complementary weapon to threaten defensive perimeters — the Giants are 1-4-1. The biggest difference is the lack of broken-tackle explosive runs, with just one carry of 11 yards or more in four games. 

“No, not because of being banged up,” Barkley said when given a chance to fall back on his aching shoulder and neck. “It’s just the truth. I haven’t had a big run in a long time. The last couple of weeks, the run game has been — I don’t want to say nonexistent, but they’ve been doing a really good job of stopping the run game — or, necessarily, stopping me.” 

Barkley recalled the last time that the Giants played a game with such high stakes, when he was sidelined by a torn ACL. By winning the 2020 regular-season finale against the Cowboys, the Giants improved to 6-10 and unthinkably were on the doorstep to the playoffs until the Eagles suspiciously tanked later that night and allowed the Commanders to win the NFC East. 

“That was like a big game where you have to win to give yourself an opportunity to play in the playoffs,” Barkley said. “Obviously, I hated watching it on the couch. But [our team] got it done, too.” 

Barkley’s two biggest rushing outputs of his career (189 and 170) both came at Washington in 2018 and 2019. He smiled Thursday like he might be primed for another. 

“I had like my best practice [Wednesday], to be completely honest,” Barkley said. 

That’s important because Barkley is off the injury report this week after he was a game-time decision last week against the Eagles. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter of the 48-22 loss. 

“I definitely feel a lot better, being able to go out there and practice and get reps,” Barkley said. “I feel pretty good.” 

Not that Washington needed another reason to gear its defense toward Barkley. 

“Obviously, that’s going to be a focal point again this week,” Barkley said. “But just got to continue to get back to that mentality of knowing that teams are going to try to stop us, but if I can get going, it’s going to help put us in a position to win.” 

WR Richie James and OLB Jihad Ward, both of whom have concussions, were upgraded to limited participants and are on pace to play Sunday. OLB Elerson Smith (Achilles) and CB Nick McCloud (illness) were downgraded and did not practice, but head coach Brian Daboll did not sound concerned about McCloud’s availability for the game. 

DT Dexter Lawrence and S Julian Love were full participants Thursday after resting to manage heavy workloads. DT Leonard Williams (neck) and TE Daniel Bellinger (ribs) remain limited. Guards Shane Lemieux (toe) and Josh Ezeudu (neck) and CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee) did not practice and likely will not play.